U.S. Official Defends Gross Misuse of AIDS Funds in Uganda

Amid growing public criticism of federal funding for antigay violence in Africa, Eric Goosby — chief coordinator for the President’ Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — has finally spoken out regarding U.S. taxpayers’ support for the pogrom in Uganda.

My role is to be supportive and helpful to the patients who need these services. It is not to tell a country how to put forward their legislation. But I will engage them in conversation around my concern and knowledge of what this is going to do to that population, and our ability to stop the movement of the virus into the general population.

Goosby appears to be both ignorant of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, and determined to use taxpayer dollars to undermine the very same education programs that PEPFAR was created to support:

HIV/AIDS in Uganda is primarily a heterosexual phenomenon; Goosby falsely contends that it is a homosexual phenomenon that threatens the “general population.”

Goosby’s use of federal funds to subsidize the punishment of HIV/AIDS education and health-care workers, and to push LGBT Ugandans deep underground, is inexcusable.

And the silence of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, regarding her subordinates’ support for violence in Uganda, is unacceptable.

Please write letters to Clinton demanding a hold on all PEPFAR funding until strict human-rights, patient-confidentiality, and free-speech controls are imposed upon all PEPFAR aid. PEPFAR aid must not be given to sectarian religious interests, especially those with violent and inhumane intentions.

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10 Comments

echndcNovember 28, 2009 at 12:02 am -

Mr. Airhart and his histrionic post do not fairly represent the tone or focus of Ambassador Goosby’s remarks. The Ambassador was clearly delineating his role as the Director of the Office of Global AIDS Coordination from that of the Secretary of State or the US Representative to the UN or any one of several other positions responsible for raising reported civil rights abuses in foreign nations. Dr. Goosby’s role as ambassador and infectious disease physician is on a parallel but separate track from the political engagement between the US and Uganda. Dr. Goosby is well aware of the role that stigma and homophobia can play in exacerbating the spread of HIV. He is also well aware that wading into the internal politics of Uganda would be counterproductive to his work and potentially undermine treatment and HIV prevention access for the HIV infected Ugandans dependent on the lifesaving medications and social supports provided through PEPFAR. Additionally, Mr. Airhart should educate himself to the fact that many African nations report primarily heterosexual epidemics because homosexuality is illegal in those countries and unrecognized as an existing component of civil society. The post is way too knee jerk for my tastes on a very important subject.

How about his “role” as a human being and duty to do everything in his power to stop a gross violation of human rights?

This is a time for courage and going beyond narrow resume descriptions. It is a time to step up and show genuine leadership. It is a time to champion America’s role as a free nation that promotes liberty for all people.

In a time of fear and persecution for Uganda’s GLBT population, we are not satisfied with canned statements and template press release language. While this may be satisfactory in ordinary times, this is the moment when Ambassador Goosby can be extraordinary and go down in history as a hero.

His voice may be all that stands between a freedom and a living hell for an estimated 500,000 GLBT Ugandans.

Ambassador Goosby must ask himself if he has truly done all he can. I suspect the answer is a resounding “no”.

We implore him to assert himself and represent America in a way that makes us proud.

Goosby: “My role is to be supportive and helpful to the patients who need these services. It is not to tell a country how to put forward their legislation. But I will engage them in conversation”

Loverly, Mr. Goosby. And while you’re at it, could you please engage terrorist cells in “conversation,” so that we can clear up that whole misunderstanding?

Oh, and also, don’t forget to give them each 287 million dollars.

DFSNovember 28, 2009 at 12:24 pm -

PEPFAR funding was tripled by Congress and they changed it from just treatment to anything else that helps. So, although the money available tripled, the treatment remained the same or went lower. Other groups now get a big piece of the pie ,more funding for their non treatment work like ads no cell phones. So, the real money is in non treatment and that is what he’s dealing with and they are powerful lobbies.

Maybe cut funding to all things non treatment and cut off the cash to those groups.

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